While public attention is being diverted by international headlines, a new alarm is ringing within Albania: the fate of the Albanian Radio and Television (RTSH). Recent statements from the head of the government, labeling the institution as “miserable” and suggesting that “every option is on the table”—including a total shutdown—raise serious questions about media freedom and the rule of law.
Why is the shutdown of RTSH being discussed today?
- Management Failure: For years, RTSH has been mired in scandals involving political appointments, frequent dismissals of directors, and allegations of fund mismanagement. Instead of holding the politically appointed managers accountable, the discourse has shifted toward “dissolving” the institution itself.
- A Blow to Media Freedom: International organizations, such as SafeJournalists, have reacted strongly, calling this an unprecedented attack. Threatening to shut down a public broadcaster under the pretext of low performance is often seen as a tool to force the media into total submission to the executive power.
- The Strategic “Smoke Bomb”: In political communication, whenever a government faces international pressure or internal investigations (such as those by BKH or SPAK), opening a new front—like the closure of the national broadcaster—serves as a perfect distraction to shift the public’s focus.
The Harsh Reality: RTSH is funded by Albanian taxpayers; it is a public asset, not the property of the government of the day. If the institution has degraded, the responsibility lies with those who managed it and used it as a propaganda tool. A shutdown is not a reform; it is an admission of failure in building independent institutions.
If we accept today that a constitutionally protected public media can be closed by a simple executive “option,” tomorrow the same fate may await any institution that dares to remain outside of political control.
RTSH does not belong to a person; it belongs to the public. Do not let “reform” become a mask for the annihilation of public media! 🇦🇱🎤
